FOOD MYTHS: THE NEGATIVE CALORIE EFFECT

FOOD MYTHS & THE NEGATIVE CALORIE EFFECT 

Food myths are a common phenomenon in modern diet-obsessed society.  They were most likely created by advertisers in the food industry to attract buyers in the health-conscious niche of the market, after the opportunity presented itself.

For example, advertising and marketing both happen to be not only scientific, but also psychological.
To advertise to a target market, one must know the demographics and psychology of that market's buyers.  Knowing what the buyers want and need is a good start to seizing an opportunity to market an item, or in the case of food myths, an idea.

Marketing the idea of any food myth is quite easy, especially to naive buyers in search of the 'next big thing'.  The nature of food myths range from harmless to absolutely ridiculous.  
Two good examples of a food myth are the 'negative calorie effect' and that 'sugar causes hyperactivity'.
While one is an old wives' tale, the other is a clever marketing ploy that utilizes misinformation and faux science, which still has a significant number of buyers fooled.

THE CLAIM:  EAT NEGATIVE-CALORIE FOODS AND LOSE WEIGHT FAST!

What is the 'negative calorie effect'?

The 'negative calorie effect' is an idea and diet consisting of certain foods that supposedly take more energy to digest than they provide in calories.

The theory is that you can lose weight by eating lots of these 'negative-calorie' foods.

Calorie Count states, "Calories wasted in extracting nutrients are already considered in calculating the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF).  TEF usually wastes about 10% of calories, but for some foods, the TEF can reach 20%.  Still, that means a 10-calorie stalk of celery wastes 2 calories to deliver 8. Big deal. Since calorie counting is inexact at best, we’ll call those 8 calories a wash."

This means, a person who consumes 2,000 calories in a day will burn off 200 calories via their BMR, or basal metabolic rate, which is a calculation of what the human body burns at rest and while digesting food and exercising via the 'thermal effect'.  So in essence, 'negative-calorie' foods are indeed, a myth.

However, don't discount the whole idea completely!  Mayo Clinic states that although these 'negative calorie' foods are most likely not negative calorie, it is still "theoretically possible"...

"Here's the reality. Throughout the day, about 5 to 10 percent of your total energy expenditure goes to digest and store the nutrients in the food you eat.

Foods that contain few calories, such as celery and other non-starchy vegetables, provide a small number of calories but still require energy to digest. That means it is theoretically possible to have a negative-calorie food, but there are no reputable scientific studies to prove that certain foods have this effect."

THE VERDICT:  THE NEGATIVE CALORIE EFFECT IS A HEALTHY GIMMICK!

Arguably the most popularly touted 'negative-calorie food', celery, contains around 6 calories per medium sized piece, but only actually takes approximately 1/2 a calorie to digest that piece, so around 8% of the caloric intake is “lost”, not 100+%, according to food science.

Time Magazine states, "You may have heard that some foods, because they are difficult to digest, will make you lose weight. Dubbed "negative-calorie foods," citrus fruits and celery have both basked in this flattering light in fad diets over the years. The problem is that it's not true. The calories your body burns in fueling the digestive cycle are minuscule compared with the calories in the food itself. Although chewing celery might seem like a strenuous activity, it burns about the same amount of calories as watching grass grow."

It is my opinion that the 'negative calorie effect' exploits the naivete of buyers in the health-conscious niche of the market via what's portrayed as 'information marketing'.  Buyers see this information as useful and affordable and will buy products that relate to this information, such as supplements and foods in the 'negative calorie' lists.  

But it isn't just the fault of the marketers:  Buyers in general, particularly 'crash diet' and 'dieting fad' buyers, also tend to want to believe in things that seem easier to obtain, such as in this case, a food myth, than in hard work, for example, good old diet and exercise.  

There are so many dieters out there who use these myths to justify cheating on a diet or exercise plan.

This is why the 'negative calorie effect' and many other food myths and fads, although completely false, are so wildly popular and will likely be around for a long time. 

But if this is what it takes to get people to eat their greens, then by all means, believe in dieting faeries and unicorns and eat up!